Coop; on the ground or off?

[NoSpringChick]

Okay, we got to the stage where we are building the coop and need to decide location in which to move it....it's only a few feet or so...but do we put the coop on the ground or up on cinder blocks? Please, if you can, let me know the pros & cons to each.

 

[poopcoop]

Well I built mine off the ground for a couple of reasons. It gives them a place to get out of the sun. When I clean my coop I don't have to worry about standing water around it because of the height to ground ratio. I also put chicken wire below the floor so that nothing can chew through. My chickens love to go under it and I have not had any problems getting them out or them laying eggs under it. I will build my turkey and pheasant coop the same way.

Ray

 

[Whistling Badger]

Would it be better to build it on the ground in places with cold winters? Better insulation and all that?

T

 

[s6bee]

I would keep it up, even if just a little. The snow piles can be a problem in winter.

 

[antiquebuff]

I live in NC and my first coop was on the ground and my second was about 2 1/2 feet up. I plan on adding 4 more and they will be up. They are much easier to get to and to clean. I also put hardware cloth around the bottom and a bag of sand so they can have a place underneath out of the weather to take dust baths. They love it, they spend time in the lot during the am and when it gets hot or rains they go under the pen. Works great! Good luck!

 

[NoSpringChick]

I should have clarified that my coop is 6' x 8'; I plan on adding a huge run for them to be out everyday; plus a few hours of free ranging.

My hubby was concerned with the cold winters here in PA and I was concerned with rodents chewing to get in? We did not add the hardware cloth on top of the joists, which is what we should have done...perhaps the next coop? LOL

Feel free to share your coop pictures!

 

[arlee453]

On the ground will make it more likely you will get burrowing animals deciding to winter under your coop (ie, rats)

raising it up will deter them...

I can't speak to the cold/winter issue. My coops are both raised with 1/2" hardware cloth floors so the poops fall through and they are easier to clean, but I'm in NC, so we don't have any really bitterly cold long stretches of winter.

 

[FrontPorchIndiana]

We built ours on cinder blocks because we had some already laying around. I don't think having it completely open would be good for our winters here in Indiana. I feel the need to add more insulation under our house, I can only imagine what a raised coop would feel like.

Anyway you can see pics of our construction by following the link in my sig line, then click the construction link.

 

[NoSpringChick]

Christine...I love your coop garden concept....Composting at it's smartest!

 

[PAChickenChick]

Hi NoSpringChick.....
I'm also in PA and I am building my coop too.
Keep in mind that I'm a newbie so this is just my opinion...but...
I am building my coop to hold 4 girls (4x5 floor, 3ft high walls) and am putting it on a concrete slab and raising it 2ft off the ground (so if you were standing next to it...it would be 5ft high total)

I did this because...
1- I didn't want the coop to be in contact with the ground when it rained. (cause it would rot the wood and put moisture in the coop)
2- I wanted the floor of the coop to be roughly waist height for easier cleaning. ( plan to put a wheel barrow in front and just pull the broom out, knocking the litter into the barrow)
3- My run is going to be detachable so they can free range but in the winter the area UNDER the coop won't have snow so it will give the girls a place to go that isn't yucky.

To deal with the cold...it is my understanding that "cold" really isn't the issue with chickens as much as moisture/humidity...so I will do a heavy insulation on the floor and roof and light insulation on the walls.

I hope you can understand my blah blah blahing...lol. Feel free to Email me...it might be nice to swap ideas with another Pa gal